1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an automatic tool changer of a machine tool, and more particularly, to a tool magazine of an automatic tool changer applied to a machine tool.
2. Description of Related Art
An ATC (Automatic Tool Changer) is typically provided to a machine tool to significantly improve the efficiency of the machine tool by saving time in moving, switching, installing and storing tools as well as adjusting and calibrating the machine tool. That is to say, the reliability as well velocity of an ATC can directly affect the efficiency of a machine tool it serves and thus are usually taken as the major index for design, selection and evaluation of an ATC.
The conventional ATC generally has a tool magazine for storing tools and an automatic tool-changing arm simultaneously holding and exchanging a tool to be replaced as well as another tool to be assembled to a machine tool. Traditionally, for providing accessibility to the automatic tool-changing arm, the tool magazine is arranged beside the machine tool. However, the tool magazine attached to a lateral of the machine tool can lead to machine vibration due to asymmetric balance of the entire machine tool and therefore brings an additional need of a balance weight. Besides, the traditional tool magazine is limited in its volume and capacity otherwise it can not be properly arranged beside the machine tool.
Hence, a need exists for providing an automatic tool changer with a tool magazine that does not cause asymmetric balance of an entire machine tool and is free from limitations in its volume as well as capacity.